RHB Bank has kicked off its RHB Now Race for a Ducati campaign, in which three Ducati Monsters are up for grabs. To be eligible for the prizes, customers need to perform any financial transactions via RHB Now and play the RHB Now Racer online and mobile game, which can be accessed via various channels, from PCs to iPads.

As mentioned in our earlier post, the top 10 customers with the highest score will win the weekly prizes, and the top 10 players with the overall highest scores obtained during the campaign period will be invited to a grand finale challenge, which will see the three eventual winners of the stunning two-wheeler.

The campaign is set to run for eight weeks, from today until March 15, so there’s plenty of time to play the game. In conjuction with the campaign, there’s also a nationwide Race for a Ducati roadshow, with no less than 20 stops at selected RHB Bank branches having been outlined.

The Monster will be on show, of course, and the Diavel and Streetfighter 848 are scheduled to make appearances at some stops. You’ll be able to buy Ducati merchandise as well as bikes at each roadshow – RHB Bank esteemed customers and staff will be able to enjoy exclusive package deals on Ducati products.

Next Bike Sdn Bhd, the sole importer and distributor of Ducati motorcycles in Malaysia, is looking at a 300% sales growth this year following good response for their latest model, the Ducati Monster 795. The latest Monster, aimed at Asia, had its world debut in Malaysia last month. The RM59,900 naked bike is powered by a 803 cc L-twin 2-valve per cylinder Desmodromic air cooled engine, producing 87 hp and 78 Nm.

More than 200 units of the Monster have been sold just one month after its launch, a huge jump from the 50 Monsters Next Bike sold last year. In 2010, they shifted 120 units of Ducatis, bringing the total amount of Ducatis sold in Malaysia to over 1,000 units. This figure is expected to rise sharply with the relatively affordable Monster 795.

EICMA 2011 debutant Ducati 1199 Panigale is open for booking, coming soon

“We have planned out a variety of programmes to help boost the sale of Ducati bikes and within the next 12 months, more exciting Ducati models are expected to be introduced. One of the models is the 1199 Panigale that was recently launched in EICMA Italy and we have already started taking bookings,” revealed Naza Group Joint Executive Chairman, Datuk Wira Hj SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin.

Next Bike Sdn Bhd, official distributor for Ducati in Malaysia, has been given the honour of launching Ducati’s latest model for the Asian market. The unveiling will happen on 20 October.

In the meantime, they have set up a “Ducati Sneak Peek Box” placed outside the Lot 10 Mall on Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL. As its name suggests, members of the public can take peeks at the new model placed inside the box.

“The new Monster is expected to further contribute to the growth of Ducati in Malaysia, this year alone the company has grown its sales volume by 100% where we expect to retail more than 200 units of Ducati. The introduction of Ducati Diavel in December 2010 had significantly increase our market share as we enter new market segments and with this new Monster, we expect to further capture more market share within the naked bike category,” said Naza Group Joint Executive Chairman, Datuk Wira SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin.

It’s more than just the box. Lot 10 is also hosting the Ducati Brand Experience Roadshow from now till 23 October. On show are Ducati bikes and merchandise. Visitors can also purchase MotoGP tickets (Malaysian GP happens on 23 October) from the Sepang Circuit booth at the roadshow. Next Bike says that roadshow visitors can earn themselves an opportunity to party with Valentino Rossi at the “Monster Party”.

Yes, the first two legs of the Shell Advance 4T roadshow in Penang and Johor Bahru were a success, drawing some 5,000 and 8,000 visitors respectively, and now the show enters its final stretch in KL – the all-day event on April 16 will take place at Berjaya Times Square.

Activities will include a best-dressed motorcycle competition, radio-controlled mini-bike races and various Nintendo Wii and iPad games featuring attractive prizes. As part of its on-ground promotions, Shell will be giving visitors a chance to win 300 free packs of the new Shell Advance 4T motorcycle oils during the event.

Besides the relevant range of motorcycle oils, the roadshow finale will also showcase a trio of Ducati bikes, led by the new Diavel.

Naza’s Ducati arm Next Bikes Sdn Bhd launches the new Ducati Multistrada 1200 earlier late last week and the event was graced by the lovely Joanna Belle Ng, Miss Unvierse Malaysia 2009.

The Multistrada 1200 was first revealed at the 2009 Milan International Motorcycle Show. It’s described by Ducati as being four bikes in one, which combines the sport, touring, urban and enduro concepts. The bike has an upright riding position like a touring bike but is smaller. For safety, it includes a Bosch-Brembo ABS system on the S model and comes standard with an eight-stage traction control system, which has a response time in the milliseconds. Other standard equipment on the 1200S model includes the Ducati Electronic Suspension by Ohlins.

“Ducati has designed a motorcycle to tackle all kinds of journeys and road surfaces using technology derived from the Bologna made race bikes in MotoGP and World Superbike,” said Naza Group Joint Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dato Hj SM Faisal Tan Sri Nasimuddin.

Ducati aimed to make the 2010 Multistrada a far more flexible bike than anything it replaces. It was to offer proper sportsbike performance, true long-range touring abilities, easy commuting and a genuine ability to get off-road and play in the dirt. The new bike boasts some 150hp at 9,250rpm and 118.7Nm of torque at 7,500rpm, a detuned version of the 1198′s motor – more than the 90 horsepower of the older Multistrada 1100DS.

Total ownership cost has been improved as well – Ducati has increased the time between major services to an owner-friendly 24,000km. The doubling of the mileage between valve clearance inspection has been made possible with the introduction of a new valve seat material that is combined with improved combustion efficiency and temperature management.

The new Duke’s pricetag is anticipated to be between RM120k for the standard model up to RM139k for the top of the range, but confirmed pricing will only be unveiled later.
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